Happy 5th WOYWW'ers!!

Happy 5^th WOYWW Anniversary Everyone! That is short for “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday”, the brilliant blog hop initiated by our lovely hostess, Julia at The Stamping Ground….and you can see all the deets there.

Nope…still won’t get a peek of my Anniversary ATC’s!!  Some are already winging their way across the sea…and I have 3 extra’s, aside from the person who will post after, me ready to go, so first ones to ask, will get one.

So what you do see is my canvas that I did for both the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #3, faux tea roses, and the ePlay Challenge for using stencils, which you can see here.   So there are the distress inks, distress paints, my messy applicators, and some of my tea roses...ready for another project.

Aren't they cute!!!  I’m going to make a point of having pre-cut ones out to practice…because they do add a nice touch, but where quite a trial for me at first!  Now, I need advise: This is a canvas panel..I don’t want to frame it, but how do I hang it?  There is no wood to screw the mounty thing to. So, any ideas are most welcome!

 So, there it is…now go stop by Julia’s and hop around the world to other great desks! Happy Crafting everyone.

Challenge 2fer! CC3C #3 and May's ePlay Challenge

Welcome to another installment of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, Vol. 3, hosted by Linda at Studio L3.  This is the third challenge in where we work through the techniques of Tim Holtz from, you guessed it…his 3^rd Volume of the Compendium of Curiosities!!  As in the past challenges, we can’t give details on the challenge, so don’t ask, but do go get your own copy of Tim’s fabulous book.  Also, Inspiration Emporium has offered an extremely generous $50 Gift Certificate for all the odd numbered weeks! So grab a copy, and join in to play!!  All the deets are here, at Linda’s blog!

Week #3: Page 65 Faux Tea Roses

OK…I've had the tattered pine cone die pretty much since it came out…watched Tim on a video..and still hadn't tried making either the pine come or rose.  You see, I had failed miserably with the layered rose using the Sizzix Flower #5 die…and  yes, its only paper, and yes, given that I spent years practicing for 7 hours a day..one would think I’d jump in and give it a go..and finally, with this week, I did.  It wasn't pretty!!  Rolled a 20 on my dexterity roll…(ohh, gamer speak)  broke 4 toothpicks (ok, cheap flat ones, no good for making Galumpkis either!) and at one point had tears rolling down my cheeks I was laughing so hard…and no…only ice tea on my desk; .maybe that was the problem…but Finally!! One sorta fell into place…Next one went a little better; only lost one petal portion.  And then Miracle!! A bouquet of roses! (And if you follow me on Instagram..yes, it took 2 hours!)  I spritzed them with Perfect Pearls to shine them up, considered using Goosebumps spray too make water droplets…thankfully reconsidered, but then didn't know what to do with them.

Aha!  On my side desk is a small canvas piece I was working on using stencils for the monthly ePlaychallenge on the eclectic Paperie blog.  I had a spare bird and cage cut out from last week’s challenge, and the rest fell together nicely.  Now…for all you canvas users out there…how do you hang them? This is a panel, so no place to screw in mounting brackets; I don’t want to frame it.  So any thoughts will be most appreciated. 

  

So, if I can do this; you can! There is still some time.  Grab a copy of Tim Holtz’s Compendium of Curiosities Vol. 3, and join in! 

WOYWW #259

Happy WOYWW Everyone! That is short for “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday”, the brilliant blog hop initiated by our lovely hostess, Julia at The Stamping Ground….and you can see all the deets there.

OK; this is more like it! The last few weeks had a fairly clear desk, as I had to hide my ATC’s.  And, being me, it was very difficult to start working on a new project with things so (for me) spotless. And while this is still distressingly neat, there are enough items out for a Muse to hang out in! So, the card is for my Compendium Challenge using Distress Glitter, which you can see here.

The two jars are above…so not a glitter person! But leave it to Mr. Holtz to come up with a glitter that shows promise!  I have some inks that couldn’t make the 6 inches back in their cubbies…some of the new Wendy Vecchi Archival Inks…still unopened…but soon!  The Phone, which, as this was taken Saturday, and today is Wednesday morning..and it is still there, is obviously dead now (not to self..go upstairs and place back on charger tonight!)  Various other tools are lying about..

And, the bottle…well….while chatting back and forth with Hettie , it opened a bit of contention…..and while her indignation is rightfully placed, for once I am on the benefitting end….for this is the most yummy, ok, one of the most yummy drinks on earth…Strong Bow Cider Honey & Apple…and apparently this British Cider is not sold in the UK, but is in my neck of the woods…Yup, I’m gloating!  Cheers! (of course, as I went through the 6-pack in the course of 5 days…it will be my luck I can’t find it again…so the last laugh has yet to be, errr, laughed)

 So, there it is…now go stop by Julia’s and hop around the world to other great desks! Happy Crafting everyone.

CC3C #2 Distress Glitter

Welcome to another installment of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, Vol. 3, hosted by Linda at Studio L3.  This is the 2nd ^rd Volume of the Compendium of Curiosities!!  As in the past challenges, we can’t give details on the challenge, so don’t ask, but do go get your own copy of Tim’s fabulous book.  Also, The Funky Junkie Boutique has offered an extremely generous $50 Gift Certificate for all the even numbered weeks! So grab a copy, and join in to play!!  All the deets are here, at Linda’s blog!

challenge in where we work through the techniques of Tim Holtz from, you guessed it…his 3

I have to admit...I’m not big on glitter.  It gets everywhere!  Months after working with it, you’ll be petting a feline, and there will be glitter dusting the sheets!! And then the DH will wake up the next morning with glitter embedded in well…lets leave it at that!  I even stayed far away from glitter glues, until our dear Mr. Holtz created the Distress Stickles…not too shiny; stays where it was placed; can be heat set. Then he came up with Distress Glitter, without the glue.  Huh…again, nice colors; but I really didn't see if it would be my “thing”.  So here comes the challenge; there goes the order; shocking that my first two color choices where sold out! So I have Black Soot and Antique Linen, which, if I’m going to be using glitter, will probably be the most useful colors, so we're all good!

So, what to do with black?  A bird of course; so out came my bird and cage die.  I wanted the wing to be multi-colored, so I colored it red and yellow, then used the linen, hoping some would come through, aka Red-winged Blackbird style…not quite! So, following along with Tim, things seemed to go smoothly..but yes, I still have glitter everywhere.  I used Old Paper ink on the cage first, hoping for a bit of antiquing look, and I think that was successful.  A drop of White Enamel Accents made the eye.  Then, what to do?  I used a gelli plate page from my stash (yay!)  and it gave a feeling of old wallpaper. Then added some lyrics (an yes, I'm very jealous of those of you with nice handwriting!) , and Viola!  Distress Glittered!  Now, however, this photo does not do it justice...actually looks like a hot mess-lost the beak completely.  But, in person,  I think it’s quite pleasing. 

So, grab a copy of Tim Holtz’s Compendium of Curiosities Vol. 3, and join in! There is plenty of time…

WOYWW #258

Happy WOYWW Everyone! That is short for “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday”, the brilliant blog hop initiated by our lovely hostess, Julia at The Stamping Ground

….and you can see all the deets there.

Well, not much going on here…I had a very productive weekend finishing the ATC’s, working on a card for our conductor for another great season, and even worked on envelopes for the ATC’s. I was so proud!  So down I trot to show DH; who pretty much says they’re not going to make it in the mail…too small.  (he is a USPS employee; so I kinda gotta listen to him….on this….)

So, what you see are the failed envies; and a clean space…I have my new frameworks dies in the bottom left, my white paints and stains, which I used on the ATC…had to see which worked best…went with the Adirondack Snow Cap. Some sticky embossing powder, to see if it works for an upcoming Compendium of Curiosities Challenge (see my previous post for deets!) and that’s about it….I did hide my ATC’s so there is no peeking!

And, here is the card I made for our conductor—using distress stains and Distress markers; the stamp is by Judikins…have had it for years, first time inked! 

 So, there it is…now go stop by Julia’s and hop around the world to other great desks! Happy Crafting everyone.

WOYWW #257

Happy WOYWW Everyone! That is short for “What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday”, the brilliant blog hop initiated by our lovely hostess, Julia at The Stamping Ground….and you can see all the deets there.

No, I do not blame Tim Holtz for creating such wonderful tools for our hobby.  I do not blame my fellow bloggers for having challenges that steer you in the direction of using these new tools and goodies.  I do not even blame my hobby stores with their 40% sales and coupons.

No…the blame entirely lies at the feet of my mechanic; He is the reason I went to Michael’s…the one in Latham, much nicer than the one in Colonie, and spent close to $90 when I was only looking for buttons for the ATC’s for the anniversary (and you guessed it:, my ATC’s will be button-less)…because for the first time in close to 12 years, my scheduled oil change was just that: a $19.95 oil change.  No brakes; no new tires; no strange muffler part…just 4 quarts of oil and a filter.  AND it took only ½ hour, so in my dazed state I wondered up to the better Michael s, and ran amok.  3 new DI paints, some stencils, some trinket bits and brads, the small bird die, and more than a few other TH Ideology items, Oh, and the Wallflower paper stash! WooT!  Also, what you don’t see, 2 wall pegboards that I have to mount, to further my, ahhmmm, organizational skills! (and because I can: I can even justify it all because it still cost less than I had anticipated for the car! But, yes, it was still smuggled upstairs before DH came home: justification can only go so far! LOL!)

 So, there it is…now go stop by Julia’s and hop around the world to other great desks! Happy Crafting everyone.